It seems lineup changes are the thing this summer and we have another one for The Dice. At their show earlier this month, vocalist MISS was conspicuously absent. It has since been announced that he has officially left the group effective immediately. The band will continue until August 21 with a support vocalist, after which they will take an activity pause.

Zonbi will also be seeing a vocalist change. Vocalist atom has left the group as of June 13 and the group have been touring with a mysterious support vocalist known only as Kansensha no K-san (Infected K-san). On June 23, K-san was officially added to the lineup, though his true identity will remain secret until their live on August 1 at Ikebukuro EDGE. I’m intrigued. Are you?

SAKURA announced at their one-man on June 18 that they will also be losing members. Guitarist Chihiro and Drummer Takahiro will depart after their performance on August 10. It seems the pair had a different idea about where the band should go and just couldn’t continue with the group as it was. SAKURA seems to be taking it in stride, though, announcing their first anniversary one-man at Tokyo’s International Forum Hall C, a 1500+ capacity venue.

And, another for the injured list. Kuroyuri to Kage bassist, K, will be out of commission while seeking treatment for an eye infection. It seems the infection is bad enough that it could cause blindness if not treated. The band will continue performing as scheduled. In the meantime, CLEAN YOUR CONTACTS! ^^

Now, for some better news. Last week, we reported on HOLLOWGRAM vocalist Ryo being injured in a car accident. It seems his surgery went smoothly and he is expected to return to the stage as scheduled. Depending on his recovery, some of the performances may be done differently to compensate for his injuries, but I’m sure he’ll be back to 100% in no time.

Gonna be in LA this weekend? Make sure to hit up Anime Expo and check out Dir en grey drummer Shinya as he graces the catwalk for h.NAOTO. He will also be participating in a Q&A session with the designer. The convention takes place July 2-5 and tickets are currently $80 for all four days, but go up on July 1. Neo-traditional band WAGGAKI Band will also be performing, so this is an event not to be missed.

Hold onto your panties, ladies. I have the mother of all New Band Alerts for you. Brought to my attention just this morning, Buck Tick vocalist, Sakurai Atsushi, has announced the beginning of a solo project called The Mortal. Sounds like he’s trying to convince us he’s NOT a vampire. There’s not a lot of information on the project as of yet, but they already have a handful of lives planned for November. Personally, I am squeal-my-head-off excited for this one, so I’ll be watching it closely. And, as far as the whole vampire thing goes, I remain skeptical. ^^

GALEYD, a year after their hiatus, is officially calling it quits. It’s not much of a surprise, but heartbreaking nonetheless for their fans that have been patiently waiting. They do plan to hold a final live in 2015, but the date and venue are not yet set. We’ll be sure to keep you posted. Until then, you can find drummer, Nikky, rocking out with ALSDEAD, so go show him your support!

BAWDIES have announced their tour final at Nippon Budokan. The event will be held on March 29 and will mark the end of their “Boys!” tour. Pre-sale tickets are already up via their mobile site and general sale starts January 31st.

Announced in this month’s MEN’S KNUCKLE (that has got to be the worst name for a magazine ever), 109 Men’s will be collaborating with Janne de Arc vocalist Yasu’s solo project, Acid Black Cherry. These two have worked together before in February 2012 and this will mark the first time the building will work with the same artist twice. The front of 109 Men’s is already draped with Yasu’s image, so if you’re in Shibuya, be sure to stop by.

So, here’s a shock. Rising stars vNeu announced their disbandment earlier this week. Their statement was brief and no reasoning was given, only that their 5th Anniversary tour final on December 29 at Shibuya Koukaido will be their last live together.

So, you guys know I’m excited about Kuroyuri to Kage, right? Well, it seems they’ve finally announced the details on their first single. Titled, [Yokusou][Gesshoku][Misui], the three track Maxi single will release December 3 in two versions. My wallet should consider itself warned.

Have you guys heard DADAROMA yet? Stop what you’re doing right now and go listen. Seriously. DADAROMA is the new band fronted by ex-Crazy Shampoo vocalist Yoshiatsu. I’m not a Crazy Shampoo fan myself, but their video showed up on my Facebook feed and I was just blown away. It’s dark and violent and reminds me of all the great bands I got hooked on in the early 2000’s. The full PV for Oboreru Sakana is up on their official YouTube page, so go check it out.

And a live announcement that just reached me this morning. MIYAVI will be performing live at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on December 14. Pre-sale started on November 2 and continue through November 5. Visit the event page and use the password “MIYAVI” to get tickets.

Nighmare, Mejibray, and Royz have announced they will appear in the first ever Chinese Visual Kei Halloween Event, 聖夜狂想祭—-Halloween Party, in Shanghai, China. The event will take place on November 1 and will also include Chinese visual band, Lilith. This will be Mejibray’s first show outside of Japan, so this is a huge step for them. Tickets, which include a VIP option, can be purchased here.

As you have probably heard by now, young visual group, LUCHe. was involved in a roll-over car accident on September 4. Details are sparse and scattered, but it seems that all members came out okay without any life-threatening injuries. They will, however, need to take some time off to recover and, between that and damage to their equipment, there is no word on when they will return. Needless to say, upcoming performances have been canceled. I saw a picture of the car and, frankly, it looked horrifying. I’m just glad everyone is okay and wish them a quick and easy recovery.

In more positive news, D.I.D has announced a tentative return from hiatus with a live scheduled for October 5. Called Akane(Re)birthday ONEMAN「Gott ist “DA”」, the live will be held at Takadanobaba AREA and features the triumphant (hopefully) return of vocalist, Akane, who had to take some time off for his mental health. Personally, I am super excited about his return. They have also announced the planned release of their previously canceled new single, Fatal Error Race, but no word yet on a release date.

Kuroyuri to Kage, the reincarnation of my beloved Memento Mori, have opened up their OHP and released their new look! I still just can’t handle their new stage names, though. I mean, check these out:

And these guys aren’t wasting any time. Along with two new releases and their first one-man set for October 2, they will also be featured in the October issue of Shoxx Magazine Vol 260, so make sure to pick it up.

SCREW bassist, Rui, has announced he will be leaving the band and ceasing all music activities to pursue his interests as a fashion designer. Rui will depart on December 28 and the band will continue on with four members. Does this feel a little strange to anyone but me?

ALSDEAD has released a preview of two of the tracks off of their upcoming album, Idea. The tracks are Adrenaline and Hero and, let me tell you, they ROCK! Check them out on their official soundcloud account and don’t forget to pick up the album October 8.

And a last minute add that just came to my attention this morning and is too frikkin’ good to pass up. New band announcement from ex-AND Eccentric Agent guitarist Kili and drummer Suzune! The band is called Liraizu and they look AWESOME! They already have a six song EP called Secret Club planned for a November 27 release along with a handful of lives and a whole slew of instore events, so make sure to have a listen and check their homepage for more info.